Computer housing with retractable door panel

ABSTRACT

A computer housing comprising a front panel, a receiving chamber, a door plate, and a main body provided with an inner space being allowable to accept an electronic device such as a floppy drive, CD-ROM, hard disk or the like that can be placed therein or removed therefrom. The front panel has at least one access port for access to the electronic device, and the receiving chamber is located within the inner space of the main body and is connected to the access port. The door panel is engaged with the front panel and moves between a first position covering the access port and a second position being retracted in the receiving chamber, and thereby exposing the electronic devices. When the door panel is retracted into the receiving chamber, the electronic devices can be easily accessed without the interference caused by the door panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a computer housing, and inparticular to a computer housing provided with a retractable door panel.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Peripherals of personal computer (PC) such as floppy drive,CD-ROM, hard disk, etc., are stored in a computer housing, so that theseelectronic devices can be protected from being damaged and collided byan external object or being polluted by outside dust. A front panel isprovided and disposed on the front side of the computer housing, andseveral access ports are formed thereon so as to provide an access tothe floppy drive, CD-ROM, hard disk or the like installed in thecomputer housing.

[0005] However, the structure of the front panel is easily spoiled bythe access ports directly formed thereon, and these electronic devicesaccessible through the access ports are easily to be damaged or collidedby the external object or polluted by outside dust. In general, a doorpanel is further provided on the front panel and used as a gate or adustproof mask to cover the access ports on the front panel. Therefore,the electronic devices stored in the computer housing can be protectedby the door panel, and the completeness of the structure of the frontpanel can be persevered.

[0006] In FIG. 1, a conventional computer housing comprises a frontpanel 110 and provides an access port 118 thereon. The access port 118provides an access to an electronic device such as a floppy drive,CD-ROM, hard disk or the like installed in the computer housing, and apair of positioning holes 112 (only one is shown) are provided on theinner wall of the access port 118. A door panel 120 provided with apivoting shaft 122 and a hook member 124 is used as a gate and adustproof mask to cover the access port 118 of the front panel 110. Theinstallation of the door panel 120 on the front panel 110 uses thepivoting shaft 122 of the door panel 120 respectively pivoting on thepositioning holes 112 of the front panel 110.

[0007] FIGS. 2A-2B show two sectional views of the computer housingincorporating the front panel 110 taken from line A-A in FIG. 1.

[0008] Door panel 120 can be rotated between a first position (FIG. 2A)where the access port 118 is covered and a second position (FIG. 2B)where the access port 118 is uncovered. In FIG. 2A, the access port 118is covered by the door panel 120 and the hook member 124 of the doorpanel 120 are positioned and pressed against the inner surface of thefront panel 110. As the hook members 124 of the door panel 120 areforced out of the front panel 110 by rotating the door panel 120 to ahorizontal position as shown in FIG. 2B, the access port 118 is fullyuncovered and the electronic device therein can be freely accessed.

[0009] In U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,226, Bullington et al. disclose a computerchassis with a chassis door which can be retracted into the interior ofthe computer chassis to uncover the access port in the front panel ofthe computer chassis and the internal components of the computer can beaccessed through the access port. Tabs and hinges are provided on thechassis door, so that the chassis door can be rotated and can be guidedinto the inner computer chassis by moving along the rails, i.e., thechassis door can be switched between an open and a closed position. Whenthe chassis door is open, the door is located within the housing,exposing the internal component to the access port; when the chassisdoor is closed, the door covers the access port to prevent access to theelectronic devices installed in the computer housing.

[0010] However, the structure of the chassis door becomes morecomplicated with the addition of tabs and hinges, which is prone tocreate obstruction when the chassis door moves from one position to theother.

[0011] Hence, there is a need for a more compact and inexpensivecomputer housing to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a morecompact and inexpensive computer housing. The computer housing comprisesa front panel, a receiving chamber, a door panel, and a main bodyprovided with an inner space. An electronic device such as a floppydrive, CD-ROM, hard disk or the like can be disposed in or removed fromthe inner space of the main body. The front panel has at least oneaccess port for access to the electronic device, and the receivingchamber is located within the inner space of the main body and isconnected to the access port. The door panel is engaged with the frontpanel and is allowed to move between a first position covering theaccess port and a second position being retracted into the receivingchamber to expose the electronic device.

[0013] Another object of the invention is to provide a computer housingthat can avoid the interference caused by the door panel moving into orout of the interior of the computer housing through the access port.

[0014] Still another object of the invention is to provide a computerhousing for receiving at least one electronic device therein. Thehousing structure comprises a front panel, a receiving chamber, a doorpanel, and a main body with inner space. The front panel has at leastone access port for access to the electronic device, and the receivingchamber is located within the inner space of the main body and isconnected to the opening. The door panel has a semi-cylindrical portionengaged with the front panel and is allowed to move between a firstposition covering the access port and a second position being retractedin the receiving chamber so as to expose the electronic device.

[0015] Still another object of the invention is to provide a computerhousing for receiving at least one electronic device therein. Thecomputer housing comprises a front panel, a receiving chamber, a doorpanel, and a main body with inner space. The front panel has at leastone access port for access to the electronic device, and the receivingchamber is located within the inner space of the main body and isconnected to the access port. The door panel is engaged with the frontpanel and is allowed to move between a first position covering theaccess port and a second position being retracted in the receivingchamber to expose the electronic device. The first position issubstantially perpendicular to the second position. A guiding device isdisposed in the receiving chamber for guiding the door panel when thedoor panel is retracted into the receiving chamber.

[0016] A detailed description is given in the following embodiments withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The present invention can be more fully understood by reading thesubsequent detailed description and examples with references made to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

[0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front panel of a conventionalcomputer housing (110);

[0019] FIGS. 2A-2B are two sectional views of the computer housingincorporating a front panel (110) taken along the line (A-A) in FIG. 1,wherein the door panel (120) in FIG. 2A is closed, and the door panel(120) in FIG. 2B is open;

[0020]FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a computer housing (1) accordingto the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view of a door panel (20) shownin FIG. 3A;

[0022]FIG. 3C is a perspective view of a guiding device (27) provided inthe computer housing (1) in FIG. 3A; and

[0023] FIGS. 4A-4C are three sectional views of the computer housing (1)taken along the plane (B-B) in FIG. 3A, wherein the door panel (20) inFIG. 4A is closed, the door panel (20) in FIG. 4B is partially open, andthe door panel (20) in FIG. 4C is open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a computer housing has a frontpanel 10, a receiving chamber 12, a door panel 20 and a main body 30(dotted line) with an inner space 11, which is labeled and indicated inFIG. 4. An electronic device (not shown but is implicitly indicated bythe reference numeral 3) such as floppy, CD-ROM, hard disk or the likecan be placed into or removed from the inner space 11 of the main body30.

[0025] In FIG. 3A, the front panel 10 is rectangular and mounted on aleading end of the main body 30. The receiving chamber 12 is locatedwithin the inner space 11 of the main body 30 and corresponds to oneaccess port 18, and a pair of spaced positioning portions 26 (only oneshown in this figure) are set in the receiving chamber 12. In thepreferred embodiment, the access port 18 is a rectangular openingthrough which the electronic device can be properly accessed from themain body 30. The access port 18 is covered by a door panel 20, which isdetachably connected to the front panel 10.

[0026] In FIG. 3B, the rectangular door panel 20 is substantially formedby two opposite L-shaped ends, each of which is provided with asemi-cylindrical portion 22 and a hooked protrusion 24. Thesemi-cylindrical portion 22 of the door panel 20 is detachably engagedto the positioning portion 26 of the front panel 10, so that the accessport 18 can be covered or uncovered by the door panel 20.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 3C, a guiding device 27 comprising two spacedtracks 28 is disposed within the receiving chamber 12. The guidingdevice 27 functions as a rail to guide the door panel 20 into or out ofthe receiving chamber 12. That is to say, when the door panel 20 ismoved into first position I-I, the access port 18 is covered by the doorpanel 20; when the door panel 20 is moved to the second position II-II,the door panel 20 is retracted into the receiving chamber 12 and theelectronic device is exposed through the access port 18.

[0028] FIGS. 4A-4C are three sectional views of the computer housing 1taken along the plane B-B in FIG. 3A. The access port 18 of the frontpanel 10 in FIG. 3A is covered (first position I-I), and the access port18 of the front panel 10 in FIG. 3B is partially open, and the accessport 18 of the front panel 10 in FIG. 3C is uncovered (second positionII-II) such that the electronic device is exposed. The door panel 20 isalways next to and contacts the positioning portions 26 of the frontpanel 10 when the door panel 20 moves from the first position I-I to thesecond position II-II, and vice versa.

[0029] In FIG. 4A, the protrusions 24 of the door panel 20 abut thefront panel 10 when the door panel 20 is in the first position I-I, sothat the door panel 20 can be properly positioned. In FIG. 4C, theprotrusions 24 of the door panel 20 abut the positioning portions 26 ofthe front panel 10 when the door panel 20 is actually moved to thesecond position II-II, i.e., the protrusions 24 act as a stopper toproperly locate the door panel 20 in a predetermined position. Comparingbetween FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the first position I-I is substantiallyperpendicular to the second position II-II.

[0030] As the door panel 20 is retracted into the receiving chamber 12,the electronic device 3 can be easily placed into or moved out of thecomputer housing 1 without the interference caused by the door panel 20.

[0031] When this invention has been described in connection with whatare presently considered to be the most practical and preferredembodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to covervarious modifications and equivalent arrangements included within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer housing for receiving at least one electronic device therein, comprising: a front panel having at least one access port for access to the electronic device; a receiving chamber located within an inner space of a main body of the computer housing and connected to the access port; and a door panel engaged with the front panel and is allowed to move between a first position covering the access port and a second position in the receiving chamber, and thereby exposing the electronic device.
 2. The computer housing as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a guiding device disposed in the receiving chamber for guiding the door panel when the door panel is retracted into the receiving chamber, and the guiding device has at least one track for sliding the door panel into the receiving chamber.
 3. The computer housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein a semi-cylindrical portion is formed on the door panel and engaged with the front panel.
 4. The computer housing as claimed in claim 3, wherein the door panel has a protrusion abutting the front panel when the door panel is in the first position.
 5. The computer housing as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a positioning portion disposed in the receiving chamber abutting the door panel when the door panel is in second position.
 6. The computer housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first position is substantially perpendicular to the second position.
 7. A computer housing for receiving at least one electronic device therein, comprising: a front panel having at least one access port for access to the electronic device; a receiving chamber located within an inner space of a main body of the computer housing and connected to the access port; and a door panel having a semi-cylindrical portion engaged with the front panel, which is allowed to move between a first position covering the opening and a second position in the receiving chamber, and thereby exposing the object.
 8. The computer housing as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a guiding device disposed in the receiving chamber for guiding the door panel when the door panel is retracted into the receiving chamber, and the guiding device has at least one track for sliding the door panel into the receiving chamber.
 9. The computer housing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the door panel has a protrusion abutting the front panel when the door panel is in the first position.
 10. The computer housing as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a positioning portion disposed in the receiving chamber abutting the door panel when the door panel is in second position.
 11. The computer housing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first position is substantially perpendicular to the second position.
 12. A computer housing for receiving at least one electronic device, comprising: a front panel having at least one access port for access to the electronic device; a receiving chamber located within an inner space of a main body of the computer housing and connected to the opening; a door panel engaged with the front panel and is allowed to move between a first position covering the access port and a second position in the receiving space, and thereby exposing the electronic device; and a guiding device disposed in the receiving chamber for guiding the door panel when the door panel is retracted into the receiving chamber.
 13. The computer housing as claimed in claim 12, wherein the guiding device is a rail comprising at least one track.
 14. The computer housing as claimed in claim 12, wherein a semi-cylindrical portion is formed on the door panel and engaged with the front panel.
 15. The computer housing as claimed in claim 14, wherein the door panel has a protrusion abutting the front panel when the door panel is in the first position.
 16. The computer housing as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a positioning portion disposed in the receiving chamber abutting the door panel when the door panel is retracted into the receiving chamber.
 17. The computer housing as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first position is substantially perpendicular to the second position. 